--Chad Love

Here's one from the "Do We Really Need A Reality Show For This?" files...

From this story in the Winston-Salem (NC) Journal:
Animal Planet — the network about things people do for, and to, animals — has ordered a reality series in which city slickers pay good money to go to Oklahoma to noodle. "Noodling" is hillbilly for "catching catfish with your hands." Don't take my word for it: Animal Planet is calling the series "Hillbilly Handfishin'." The show, Animal Planet explains, stars "self-proclaimed hillbilly" Skipper Bivins, who, for a price, takes silly city slickers out and teaches them how to catch catfish with their bare hands.

"...Animal Planet plans to unleash "Hillbilly Handfishin'" on the public in August, but the network actually premiered the pilot for this series way back on Sept. 24 and averaged 630,000 viewers — 44 percent better than the year-ago time-slot average. Two encores of the pilot copped even bigger crowds: 653,000 viewers Dec. 9 and 722,000 viewers Dec. 22. Noodling was also featured in a 2003 episode of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs," though it's unclear what the "job" part was. More recently, noodling was a story line in an episode of ABC's comedy series "Cougar Town," in which Bobby and Travis went on a dad/son noodling-bonding trip.

Really? "Hillbilly Handfishin'?" Great. It's obvious from the show's title that my home state will surely be portrayed in the most positive light possible. Anyone willing to take an over/under on how long we get into the first episode before we see (or hear) our first "Deliverance" reference? More importantly, anyone planning on watching it?

Comments (13)

from ilikehunting wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

Noodling is illegal in my beloved Missouri. Good thing too, or else I'd probably be out there everyday doing it.

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from ThomasB wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

I've always wanted to try. Afraid of getting beat up by one of those monsters.

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from jamesti wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

did it once and latched onto what i think was a snake. never again but i wouldn't mind watching. one guy with us grabbed onto a cat that almost drowned him.

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from Jeff4066 wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

Well, there are those of us who were stup... I mean, adventurous enough to go Trout Tickling.

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from The Armchair Ou... wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

Sponsored by . . . Natural Light!

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from wisc14 wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

comment section not working worth a darn on this site

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from shane wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

People pay for this? It's pretty simple. Get in the river, reach in holes.

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from Muleynut30.06 wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

Haha I wanna try it I have ever since I heard of it. I dont see what the problem is do you not like the idea of the show cause really its no different then any of the hunting shows or other fishing shows portray trips where they pay booku bucks to go. Or do you just not like the title cause it really isnt that hillbilly if you watch it I saw the pilot episode and thought it was pretty good.

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from Carl Huber wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

Living in NY state; I like my fishing in clear water on the end of a line or up close on the end of a spear. That being said; I cannot imagine why someone would stick their hand in a muddy hole. Where snapping turtle and snakes can live. This sport had to originate in a Bar or as a Bet!!

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from Rendyboats wrote 1 year 10 weeks ago

sounds like fun, but i would want to wear gloves.

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from themightymissm wrote 43 weeks 3 days ago

I've done it and I LOVE the adrenaline rush you get from it! They've legalized it in Kansas...but as low as the rivers are around our area, I fear they are going to be "fished out" of the monsters. We've not found many weighing more than 30lbs...

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from contortrix wrote 43 weeks 2 days ago

Noodling can be pretty sustainable if catch-and-release is practiced...the problem is, I don't think most people who noodle are the type to do much catch-and-release. Catfish around where I live appear to return to their holes, once removed, within a matter of days, and are just as likely to fight when removed again. It really is one of the best adrenaline rushes out there.

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from Billy Harper wrote 30 weeks 5 days ago

i would like to know how and where to sogn up id love to feel the thunder of the bite of those monster cats and love to hang out with you guys for a few days...

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from Jeff4066 wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

Well, there are those of us who were stup... I mean, adventurous enough to go Trout Tickling.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from ilikehunting wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

Noodling is illegal in my beloved Missouri. Good thing too, or else I'd probably be out there everyday doing it.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from ThomasB wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

I've always wanted to try. Afraid of getting beat up by one of those monsters.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jamesti wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

did it once and latched onto what i think was a snake. never again but i wouldn't mind watching. one guy with us grabbed onto a cat that almost drowned him.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from The Armchair Ou... wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

Sponsored by . . . Natural Light!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from shane wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

People pay for this? It's pretty simple. Get in the river, reach in holes.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Muleynut30.06 wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

Haha I wanna try it I have ever since I heard of it. I dont see what the problem is do you not like the idea of the show cause really its no different then any of the hunting shows or other fishing shows portray trips where they pay booku bucks to go. Or do you just not like the title cause it really isnt that hillbilly if you watch it I saw the pilot episode and thought it was pretty good.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from wisc14 wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

comment section not working worth a darn on this site

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Carl Huber wrote 1 year 11 weeks ago

Living in NY state; I like my fishing in clear water on the end of a line or up close on the end of a spear. That being said; I cannot imagine why someone would stick their hand in a muddy hole. Where snapping turtle and snakes can live. This sport had to originate in a Bar or as a Bet!!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Rendyboats wrote 1 year 10 weeks ago

sounds like fun, but i would want to wear gloves.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from themightymissm wrote 43 weeks 3 days ago

I've done it and I LOVE the adrenaline rush you get from it! They've legalized it in Kansas...but as low as the rivers are around our area, I fear they are going to be "fished out" of the monsters. We've not found many weighing more than 30lbs...

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from contortrix wrote 43 weeks 2 days ago

Noodling can be pretty sustainable if catch-and-release is practiced...the problem is, I don't think most people who noodle are the type to do much catch-and-release. Catfish around where I live appear to return to their holes, once removed, within a matter of days, and are just as likely to fight when removed again. It really is one of the best adrenaline rushes out there.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Billy Harper wrote 30 weeks 5 days ago

i would like to know how and where to sogn up id love to feel the thunder of the bite of those monster cats and love to hang out with you guys for a few days...

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.